Running with the (other?) bears

As I had planned to, I went to the local bear event at Manly bar Saturday night.  I had a pretty good time, though I felt awkward as I often do.  I only knew like two other people who were there, and I don't know them very well.  I did approach them and ask them about mutual friends and struck up a bit of small talk, but that was about it.  Then they pretty much went back to talking to other people.  That's probably why I was never very close to them.  They and I never really seem to click.

Imagine a bar full of guys like this.

I also had a bit of an oddity that I ran into a friend (or possibly former friend) of Rumor Queen while I was there.  She walked up to me and called me by name and I was a bit surprised at first.  She looked familiar, but I couldn't place how I'd know her.  Then she told me that she "was" (her use of "was" rather than "is" was what left me wondering if they had a falling out) a friend of Rumor Queen.  The conversation was brief, but quite pleasant.  She asked if I was having a good time and I said yes.  Then she continued on her way to the women's room.

The other curious point of the night was the fact that I almost got the impression that some guy spent a good portion of the night checking me out.  He was with a group of friends and I was standing about fifteen feet away, enjoying my first cocktail of the night.  (Well, not counting the two I had during happy hour much earlier in the evening.)  I looked back toward the group and noticed he seemed to be looking at me. The moment I looked, he'd look away.  He kept doing this for about fifteen or twenty minutes.  I wasn't sure if it was my imagination.  Alas, he never came over to say hi (or sent over one of his buddies to see if I'd be interested, if he's too shy to take the plunge himself).  And as I've mentioned before, I'm just ready to let the other guy make the first move right now.  It's a shame, as he was pretty cute.  I'm guessing he was between ten and fifteen years my junior.

Overall, it was okay.  I'm hoping more people that I know will be there next time.